Ex-R.I. senator's 'pig' comment at women's protest causes furor

PROVIDENCE — Former senator and current State House lobbyist Stephen Alves sparked outrage among the women-in-white protesting a bylaws change at Monday’s Rhode Island Democratic State Committee meeting with a “pig” comment that is now playing out repeatedly on Twitter.

Alves, who is a member of the Democrats’ state committee — and a lobbyist for an affiliate of IGT — is on video saying, “If a pig grunts, you don’t grunt back” after a confrontation with one of the women that got so heated, a sergeant at arms was sent over to try to calm the situation while another of the protesters recorded the incident.

“The video is a bit noisy, but you can clearly hear him say, ‘If a pig grunts, you don’t grunt back,’ which is a totally gross and wholly unacceptable thing to say to female activists,″ state Sen. Sam Bell said Thursday.

In response to a Journal inquiry, Alves texted this statement: “On Monday night I entered a room that was filled with an enormous amount of energy and emotion. I was at the back of the room that was quite crowded and in that confined space people were shouting insults and cursing in my direction — including calling me a misogynist.

Read more: https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20191121/ex-ri-senators-pig-comment-at-womens-protest-causes-furor